Media Medium
5 March 2002

ROLY KEATING

Digital culture vulture

There is little point in Roly Keating concerning himself
with BBC4 viewer figures. His best option is to serve
Venus, the muse of art and eros

Roly Keating, controller of BBC4, the new arts channel, has all
the credentials of a culture king, with his enthusiastic, regal
Leo (August 5 1961) tempered by executive Capricorn and rounded
off with planets in civilised, sophisticated air signs.

Leos hanker for the spectacular and Keating has been waiting half
a lifetime for his big chance. His golden opportunity has come on
his astrological mid-life crisis, as revolutionary Uranus
completes its half cycle in his horoscope. This often brings a
now-or-never demand when people question where they are going and
desire something completely different, but so far, Keating has
carried out his revolution in creativity within the existing
framework of his career, without kicking against it or running
off with a blonde bimbo.

His Uranus cycle measures to the end of February just a week from
the BBC4 launch, a case of perfect timing. It does not complete
until December, with a peak in early October, so there is plenty
of time yet for this planet to show its unpredictable streak. The
new controller sees BBC4 as "a powerhouse, spinning things out
rather than sucking things in", but this kind of activity can
spin in directions which its creator never envisaged. Provocative
Uranus loves roller-coaster situations, so could Keating become
an out-of-control controller?

The new digital channel has none of its creator's fire, but it
performs brilliantly for the arts as an imaginative Pisces (March
2 2002) with Venus, planet of art and culture, on the horizon at
7pm, the moment of its first broadcast. These are fortunate
indications, but BBC4 also has a thorn in its side. This is shown
by a tough opposition of a tacky Scorpio Moon and a greedy
Taurean Mars, not at all like an ideal of high culture, and
always tempting it down-market. The opposition falls across the
financial sectors of its horoscope, making its license-fee
funding a continual source of irritation for commercial rivals
such as Artsworld. Its future is dependent on the largesse of
Greg Dyke for some years to come, although the possibilities of
international sales look promising for this globally-minded
channel.

Since there isn't anybody out there yet in the digital world,
there is little point in Keating concerning himself with viewer
figures. His best option is to serve Venus, the muse of art and
eros, avoiding both high-class porn and the move to the crude. He
will win support in the long run by going for what HE regards as
culturally excellent. He should aim for the best, and damn the
opposition.